Oct 28 (Mon) @ 2:00 PM: "Energy Efficient Analog Coherent Transceivers for Data Centers," Junqian Liu, ECE PhD Defense

Location: Engineering Science Bldg (ESB), Room 2001
Zoom Meeting: https://ucsb.zoom.us/j/9348685073?omn=87146259663
ECE Research Area: Electronics & Photonics
Research Keywords: Silicon Photonics, Coherent Transceivers, Optoelectronics, Phase-Locked Loop

Abstract

Growing demands of data centers, especially with the rise of AI and machine learning workloads, require critical advancements in high-speed, energy-efficient optical communication systems due to the vast amounts of data being transferred. This presentation covers the electro-optic modeling and optimization of a Traveling-Wave Mach-Zehnder Modulator (TW-MZM) fabricated in Intel's Silicon Photonics platform. The characterization of this silicon transmitter, integrated with hybrid tunable lasers and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), will be presented along with a novel modulator equalization technique incorporating tunable inductive terminations. Integrated coherent receivers with optical analog phase-locked loops for simultaneous carrier recovery and data demodulation will also be discussed, offering a DSP-free solution that eliminates the need for advanced CMOS ASICs.

Bio

Junqian Liu has been a thorough University of California, Santa Barbara Gaucho earning his combined B.S. in Electrical Engineering with Masters in Materials Science in 2018. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, where his research focuses on silicon photonics and analog coherent optical communications.

Hosted By: ECE Professor Clint Schow

Submitted By: Junqian Liu <junqian@ucsb.edu>